Doctor Who: 50 years of timey wimey stuff
Rating - 10 plus sonic screwdrivers!
On November 23, 1963, BBC1 (a British tv network) launched a tv show about an alien that travels through time and space in a London police phonebox called the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) that would over a time period of 50 years have a worldwide impact on generations of fans known as Whovians. That show is Doctor Who. The show has such a cultural impact that even the word “Whovian” can be found in the Oxford Dictionary. People have gone to conventions dressed up as various Doctors or companions or even his enemies. There are viewing parties at people’s homes or bars so that people can gather and watch the newest episode of Doctor Who.
This past weekend, exactly 50 years later, was the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. It was celebrated by the episode “The Day of The Doctor”. The episode was broadcast simultaneously around the world. Here in the colonies (Unites States), the episode aired at 2:50pm. It’s Monday. By now, Whovians around the world have watched the episode, either on television or on the big screen in movie theaters. Therefore, it should be safe to talk about the epic moment and not be afraid of spoiling it for anyone. And if it does, well am sorry.
I have been watching the show since the 1980s. My first doctor was Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor Who. I was enthralled by the show back then despite what it is now considered to be dorky special effects and corny writing. I was a Whovian before there were Whovians. I was happy to see that the show was coming back in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor (or as it turns out the 10th Doctor). My happiness grew by leaps and bounds when I saw the direction the show was heading into and I saw how it was becoming a hit again. I was in awe when people were coming out in droves identifying themselves as Whovians. I never thought this should would become a rampaging hit!
Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor
Therefore, when news broke out about the special celebration for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, my anxiety levels went up. I tried to get tickets so I can watch the anniversary episode in the theater but Fandango screwed me over. I couldn’t get through to the website until after all tickets were sold out despite getting on the internet first thing at 9am but fandango was saying tickets were still not being released. I started to hate computers. So my dreams of watching the episode on the big screen went up in a puff of smoke. I had to reside in humbling myself and watching it on the small screen. The only problem is that I do not get BBCAmerica in my DirecTV package. I think DirecTV is discriminatory. I ordered the Spanish package (which includes all the channels from Spain) but for some reason because I have that package I could not get one extra English network. So once again my dreams of watching it on the small screen went up in a puff of smoke. I had to reside myself to watch it on the smaller screen (aka my computer). There are several websites where I can watch it for free but I would have to wait until the next day for the show to be uploaded to the website. So my dreams of being part of a simultaneously global event went up in a puff of smoke.
However a miracle occurred on the Day of the Doctor! I had posted on facebook how I would have to watch the episode the next day because I don’t get BBCAmerica. One of my many, many, many facebook friends posted a website in the comment section of my status. It was a website called nowwatchtvlive.com. This website would allow one to watch a show as it is broadcast in the country of its origins. I had five minutes left to go before the episode started. I had to download updated versions of my video player so I can watch it along with millions of others. My entire purpose in life at that moment was to mentally push my computer to download the necessary program and start clicking on I wanted my Doctor!! Next thing I knew, the original opening credits of Doctor Who from 1963 started appearing on my computer screen! I yelled out with joy! And I began to watch the show that brought me happiness and joy for so many years, the show that always made me smile and feel warm inside. The episode played in front of my eyes and from 2:50pm to 4:11pm, I never left my seat, I was captivated by what I saw. And what did I see, well it was BLOODY BRILLIANT!!!!!!
From the start the episode was filled with “Easter eggs”, acknowledgements of the history of the Doctor. The black & white opening scene, the school, the street, the name of Ian Chesterton on the school plaque, all acknowledgements to the very first episode of Doctor Who from 1963, “The Unearthly Child” with the original Doctor, William Hartnell. Even the time that was shown on the clock when Clara left the school for her rendezvous with the Doctor, 5:16pm, that was the time that BBC1 aired Doctor Who back on November 23, 1963. There were even certain phrases throughout the episode that were acknowledgements of the history of the show. It was weird just sitting there and watching it all while my mind kept going back to all the moments that I was reminded of. Even the scarf that the asthmatic lab assistant wore was reminiscent of Tom Baker’s scarf that he wore as the fourth Doctor. How I still want that scarf for my own pleasure!
The episode was truly bloody brilliant! The writing was par excellent. There were twists and puzzles in the writing. I saw the painting, Gallifrey Falls, in the Black Archive and it left me wondering how did it end up there, why was it there. There was the phone call that the lab assistant received at the museum. I thought it was David Tennant’s Doctor calling but it turned out not to be. It was better than what I thought. Steven Moffatt was deftly able to create three different timelines and put them all together as one adventure. Moffatt has proven to be a truly deceptive person with his writing full of twists and turns. He finally showed the Time War, the battle between the Time Lords and the Daleks. We finally got to see the moment that created that bit of darkness in the Doctor which we have seen in Eccleston, Tennant and Smith, the heavy burden that the Doctor had to carry thinking that he destroyed his own people. Hopefully, we won’t see that darkness anymore since the truth has been revealed about the fate of the planet Gallifrey. I believe that the War Doctor (now just the 9th Doctor) was the one who said that there was now hope in his life. I will confess that Doctor Who inspires hope in me as well.
The actors brought their best in this episode. I love Billie Piper even more. She may not have been Rose Tyler but she was good as the Interface. We saw more of John Hurt as the War Doctor or as it turns out the 9th Doctor. He carried crankiness and loneliness quite well on his shoulders. It does make me want to see more of him. Perhaps another time paradox will have him cross paths with the 13th Doctor. It would be a shame if that is the only time we will see the War Doctor. As for David Tennant and Matt Smith, seriously, there are no words that can be used to describe them. Both were exquisite. Both brought their a-game to their perspective Doctors. I miss Tennant as the Doctor so this was a nice remembrance of his time. Jenna Coleman is adorable as Clara and I can’t wait to find out more about her.
I applaud on Moffatt’s use of the Zygons as the villains in this special episode. Yes there were Daleks but they were secondary, one can even say they were tertiary in this episode. I believe that it was a stroke of genius to use a villain prior to the re-start of the series. Daleks, Cybermen, and Ice Warriors have already been re-introduced to the new Whovians. By using the Zygons, it just shows that there is a whole rogues gallery out there that the new Whovians have not been introduced to that they should be. Also, the focus of the episode was on the War Doctor. Moffatt couldn’t use one of the big bads, it would have detracted from the story. The Zygons were just perfect annoyance and not full blown trouble for this episode.
My highlights of the episode are so many. I cringed when I saw the War Doctor used the TARDIS as a battering ram against a squad of Daleks. I smiled when I saw a motorcycle ride into the TARDIS and a horse coming out of it. I gasped when I saw Matt Smith hanging from the TARDIS as it was carried by helicopter to UNIT. There was never a moment that I was not happy with the “Day of the Doctor”. I had a geek orgasm when I saw all the doctors (via archive footage) and hearing them (via archive footage or voice doubles) on the monitors in the Gallifreyan chamber. And of course, the background music always made me feel good. The music as the three doctors entered the Black Archive made me shed a tear. Every time I hear that music I just smile and it is one of the widest smiles on my face. Sometimes I just replaying the music in my head whenever I feel down just to life me up.
Of course, my biggest geek orgasmic moment was when this happened:
YES!! YES!! YES!! Tom Baker came back for this special episode. I actually yelled out in joy when I saw this happened and there was a tear coming down my cheeks as well. Yes I am willing to admit it. I am glad that Tom Baker broke his vow that he would never appear on Doctor Who again. For me, this was the perfect ending to the episode. Tom Baker was my first Doctor and he remains one of the best ones, perhaps even the total best. It came full circle for me. We also see new purpose in the Doctor’s life now. He is off to look for the planet Gallifrey and he will do so with a lighter burden and less darkness in his eyes. Now we have to wait til Christmas for the next episode of Doctor Who where we will say goodbye to Matt Smith and say hello to Peter Capaldi as the 13th Doctor. I hope he brings us the same excitement and joy that his predecessors have brought.
In the end, I give “The Day of the Doctor" a ratings of 10 plus sonic screwdrivers.
